Clippers vs Warriors Playoffs Gm. #2 Game Thread 2014-04-21

It's bounce back time for the Clippers as they look to even the series vs the Golden State Warriors. Despite game 2 being a critical one to win, the Clippers must play focused and not try do too much individually. Execute, rebound better, and no matter what the referees do, they can still get the victory.

WinningBasket

04/20/2014 - 06:47 PM PST

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Yes, I believe the Clippers will come out more focused and will execute better than the first game. They're a much better team than the Warriors.

You got this, Clips!

ClipperKyle32

04/20/2014 - 07:14 PM PST

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I'd say this a must win. Just for their psyche going into Oracle. Series tied 1-1 and stealing one or two in Oracle over the over confident Warriors would be nice and then close the series at home!!!!

Cannot Wait

Silasie

04/20/2014 - 07:17 PM PST

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^

I agree that it is a must win game and am a bit worried about the pressure of that. But Doc should have the team mentally prepared.

ClipperKyle32

04/20/2014 - 07:26 PM PST

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Agreed. If I am not mistaken. Doc Rivers and the 2008 Celtics lost the first game of the first round and bounced back to go on and win not just the series , but the....

The 2008 Celtics actually won the first two games @home, but they lost all of their road games in round 1 AND round 2 so had to go 7. But Doc has lost home games in a bunch of series and also won big games on the road. In the playoffs, home/road doesn't make a really big diference since the main advantage of HCA is just the fact that teams are more rested and not on the backend of a back-to-back etc. I don't buy that players are really rattled by the fans at this stage. Heck, we won game 7 in Memphis in what was probably the most hostile environment we'll ever face, and Memphis beat us a bunch of times @Staples the last two years.

For a recent example of a home team losing game 1 and winning the series, I remember CP3 and NOH beat the Lakers in 2011 and the Lakers proceeded win 2 & 3 and then the series in 6. I remember the Suns upsetting the Spurs in game 1 a few years ago (Marbury hit a game winner) and Spurs won in 6 again. I'm sure there are tons of examples, esp if you go beyond round 1. I'm really not worried because I think we are just the much better team and Blake is unlikely to play less than 35 mpg in any of the remaining games.

JQuick32

04/20/2014 - 08:52 PM PST

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Not confident at all, really hoping I'm proven wrong. If CP3 starts up his Harden impression again, we can kiss the season goodbye.

lobcityhawaii

04/20/2014 - 08:58 PM PST

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If Blake plays like the no. 3 MVP candidate, Jamal plays like the 6th man of the year, and cp3 plays his A game, should be an easy win. This isn't asking for much as they've been that good most of the season.

Silasie

04/20/2014 - 09:06 PM PST

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Absolutely. If they all do their thing we should win even if the splash bro's get hot.

clipper*joe

04/20/2014 - 09:26 PM PST

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We need to avoid the lazy switches which usually result in easy points. we gave up several wide open threes because the second man hedged, stayed in the paint , or just failed to cover the guy he switched on. This was a problem last year in the playoffs and still is after one game. CP3 and DJ did it at key points last night. if they call a switch, don't get caught up watching or sitting in the paint. Just cover the man you're stuck with.

tense2

04/20/2014 - 09:31 PM PST

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What adjustments we make in this game will be the key. Gotta win this one boys.

ClipperKyle32

04/20/2014 - 09:36 PM PST

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What Adjustments? Only Adjustment that needs to be made is that our Poward Forward plays more than 19 minutes

LuckTheFakers

04/20/2014 - 09:38 PM PST

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This. They just can't guard Blake. It's really not that hard to see what our strategy needs to be. It's like the threepeat Lakers where the only way to beat them was to put Shaq on the pine. Refs did that for us once, it won't happen again.

tense2

04/20/2014 - 09:39 PM PST

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Teams, both winners and the losers make adjustments in case you didn't know.

jarca

04/20/2014 - 09:42 PM PST

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We gotta get some production on SF spot. 1-9 isn't going to cut it.

ClipperKyle32

04/20/2014 - 09:43 PM PST

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Just foolin around Tense, don't be so tense

tense2

04/20/2014 - 09:48 PM PST

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And our bench.

tense2

04/20/2014 - 09:50 PM PST

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No problemo. Tense is not tense...all is good.

ClippersDA

04/20/2014 - 09:57 PM PST

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In general, it is surprising that doc didn't have us prepared. Aside from the first five minutes, it was a total mess.

LuckTheFakers

04/20/2014 - 09:59 PM PST

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I'm sure a big part of Doc's game plan was running the offense through Griffin. You don't count on Griff playing less minutes than he did in any game all year long. The D looked pretty good.

JQuick32

04/20/2014 - 10:12 PM PST

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In fairness, you can't really prepare for the most bogus foul trouble imaginable against Blake to essentially take him out of the game. The first five minutes were before the bogus foul trouble.

I don't think last game was on the coaching, aside from Doc giving Crawford too long a leash. Our players simply choked.

Greenmonk94

04/20/2014 - 11:22 PM PST

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second game i think we win by 12.. first game.. tie game with barnes crawford collison granger having horrible games... imagine if they just played subpar... we would of won.. so i think it was a dud game... hope I'm right..

CP3Best

04/20/2014 - 11:26 PM PST

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It's the playoffs I would not be surprised if we win by like 4 or 5, remember Curry didn't have that great of a game either, Jordan did a GREAT job roughing him up on screens, he could go off as well. Just saying...

wessleejr

04/20/2014 - 11:43 PM PST

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I want cP3 to play like CP3 the first game he played like Darren Colisson, over aggressive that he missed lay ups or not passing the ball in fast break. Blake look like under pressure only JJ is showing the same JJ. Blake should avoid foul trouble or else we will down 0-2

But we lose our first game in regular season to our sister team Lakers, so hopefully game one lose in PO is just a wake up call.

kjavis

04/21/2014 - 12:46 AM PST

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must win

Clipperfn4lf

04/21/2014 - 12:51 AM PST

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Hopefully the usual 7:30 game time will get everyone back in their flow.

lobcityhawaii

04/21/2014 - 12:58 AM PST

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Definitely a must win for us. It's over if we go down 0-2 with 2 losses at home in a row. Blake will be smarter, Jamal can't get worse, our bench will shoot better, and cp3 won't turnover the ball as much. We got this!

slestack11

04/21/2014 - 01:06 AM PST

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The Clippers need to play hard and focused but remain loose and relaxed. They seem nervous and tight in Game 1. Getting a win would have been nice to ease their tension, but I hope they don't come out nervous again tomorrow.

kjavis

04/21/2014 - 01:07 AM PST

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hope someone had a word to jamal, he needs to treat each offensive possession with more respect, i don't mind him shooting the ball but when its a difficult shot with a defender on him its a bad shot whether it goes in or not

LuckTheFakers

04/21/2014 - 01:23 AM PST

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On the bright side...

I know we're down about the loss. We have high expectations for this season-- I think we can win it all! -- and losing the first playoff game sucks. Losing to these jerkoffs is even worse! But remember, we lost the very first game of the regular season to even bigger jerkoffs and it turned out OK!

I wanted to put things in some perspective. FIVE of the eight playoff teams failed to defend home court in their first game. Of these, I think we're in the best position because we're the only team that had a real excuse: having our main gun sit for most of the game. I mean, would you really want to switch places with the Pacers (who are imploding), Bulls (no offense), Rockets (no excuse), or Raptors (no one cares)?

We are going to win game 2 convincingly and I hope this changes the mood from game 1. Of all of the first game upsets, we are the one that has to adjust least because, barring a fix by the Adam Silver mob, Griffin will play and he'll play big. GSW showed me nothing that scared me at all. Well, maybe they ran decent pick & roll with Lee, but with Griffin in there that won't be as available because Lee will be worn out from trying to play his brand of defense (which is a lot of floor burns). Clippers by 25.

A_DOG_NAMED_BUD

04/21/2014 - 01:30 AM PST

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If Blake just stays in the game, we'll win. I couldn't believe some of the BS fouls called on him. I would have Blake guard O'neal to avoid getting in foul trouble again.

LuckTheFakers

04/21/2014 - 01:33 AM PST

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Geez if we do somehow lose this game, I can't even imagine how unbearable JQuick32 will be. Please for the love of God don't subject us to that...

BaadMaster

04/21/2014 - 03:22 AM PST

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This is why you have a top tier coach who has won a chip. If my memory is correct, Doc lost the first game to the Lakers in the year Boston won and still won. He makes the right adjustments, he has been here before. (Edit: I think Doc was down something like 24 points and still won a very critical game in that Finals series. In either event, he is not one to panic and that is what is needed in playoff basketball. The coach in the post season, as opposed to the regular season, is EXTREMELY critical to success.)

Now if the refs take out Chris Paul with three quick fouls, then I know it is fixed and anything I say is irrelevant. But in an honest game, the Clippers will beat the Warriors seven or eight out of ten.

Too bad I don't have a bookie and am too lazy to drive to Vegas because I would bet on the Clippers to win this series and could get some good odds.

Clippers in six. I still stand by that.

Clipperfn4lf

04/21/2014 - 04:04 AM PST

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You really think clippers will game 3 or 4 on road and then close out on road? Interesting and you could def get favorable odds on that. Hope it happens!

ClipperKyle32

04/21/2014 - 06:45 AM PST

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Nobody told me the Spurs, Thunder, and The Heat will all play in the NBA Finals because they are the only teams that won at home on Game 1!
I agree with Baad, the Clippers essentially....

I was sad that i wasn't able to watch the game, and so disappointed by losing the game. On the other hand I like how Doc and CP3 handled the loss given how competitive they are, its like were saying " This would be the first and last win they would get against us in this playoff"....

clipperharry

04/21/2014 - 09:21 AM PST

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Look I'm a long time clipper fan 26+ years ,but I'm realistic ,it's not who wins gm 1 it's who wins the first 4 of 7 who wins the series !! Just remember last yrs playoffs !!!! This series will be a dog fight !! Go clippers show your heart , it's time !!

ClipperPostman

04/21/2014 - 09:22 AM PST

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Warriors just don't have enough firepower to compete with the

clippers.

Like many have said here when you need the refs to steal the game at

the end and we didn't even use 50% of our firepower IE Blake, Crawford,

Collison, Granger/Barnes.

The warriors are a cake walk. Don't forget last game was a blow-out

before the Refs started all that fouling bullshit. They had no answer

for Blake whatsoever.

I wouldn't be surprised 4 straight at this point.

Silasie

04/21/2014 - 09:43 AM PST

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^

I admire your confidence and really hope you are right but a cake walk I don't think. Yes we have more fire power particularly with Bogut out, but if the splash bro's start to splash we will need to play at the top of our game.

RickBlaine

04/21/2014 - 10:10 AM PST

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Well, I agree that the Dubs don't match up well with the Clips without Bogut. And the Clips should win in about six games. But as far as the officiating goes, please take the pacifier out of your mouth while you type and don't dribble on the keyboard.

The one thing the Dubs have going for them, in spite of the loss of Bogut, is karma. Something about the jackassery of the Clips bites them in the @$$ when they play the Warriors. Could happen in this series.

JQuick32

04/21/2014 - 10:20 AM PST

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RickBlaine wrote:

Well, I agree that the Dubs don't match up well with the Clips without Bogut. And the Clips should win in about six games. But as far as the officiating goes, please take the pacifier out of your mouth while you type and don't dribble on the keyboard.

You would be in meltdown mode if Curry was limited to just 19 minutes due to bogus foul trouble at home, and you know it.

Aren't the Warriors supposed to be better without Bogut? That was the spin from Oakland when he got injured, so you can't use it as an excuse now.

Quote:

The one thing the Dubs have going for them, in spite of the loss of Bogut, is karma. Something about the jackassery of the Clips bites them in the @$$ when they play the Warriors. Could happen in this series.

If karma existed, your classless cheater coach and bitchmade cheapshotting players would never win a game.

RickBlaine

04/21/2014 - 10:44 AM PST

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Well, I think cup of water that Griffin tossed at the fan was classless. But more childish than classless. And the fact that he says it was an accident speaks even less favorably about him. Its the little things like that that get the karma bus rolling.

cleepers

04/21/2014 - 10:46 AM PST

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It will NOT be the same officiating crew for tonight's game. I thought that sounded dodgy when I first heard it reported here. It increases the chances of impropriety over the course of a whole series by orders of magnitude.

Tonight's crew: Tony Brothers, David Guthrie, Rodney Mott.

However, the exact same crew from our game 1 is officiating tonight's OKC/MEM game, so it does appear that the league is keeping crews together... at least throughout each round. I'm hoping we don't see that bunch again, or at least that they have the decency to feel guilty about what happened and actually let us play next time.

ClipperPostman

04/21/2014 - 10:48 AM PST

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Even with "Bogus" the warriors are no match for anyone in the top 4 seeding

IMO. Curry Chicken and Clay Thompson rarely "go off" in the same game.

Warriors are choke artists who hide behind cheap plays, and school yard

tactics to squeeze by games. Fortunately that won't cut it in the playoffs

where you actually need talent.

ClipperPostman

04/21/2014 - 10:51 AM PST

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So a cheap shot elbow to the throat by Green doesn't

warrant bad karma?

What about Bogus instigating Blake to get him tossed out?

What about Mark Jack@ss drawing up cheap strategies like that

instead of winning a game by basketball plays?

What about Jermaine Oneal Chasing down blake letting him know

how much of a "Beast he is in these streets".

Oh I get it. Karma only works "For" the warriors.

RickBlaine

04/21/2014 - 10:51 AM PST

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Laughing my @$$ off and slapping my knee.

JQuick32

04/21/2014 - 10:56 AM PST

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The fan said he also thought it was an accident. The only people making a big deal over it are Warriors "fans" and Clipper haters.

Classless is using a player on the opposing team as a mole to cheat your way through a playoff series. Hell, classless is pretending to be a man of God while cheating on your wife with a stripper.

cleepers

04/21/2014 - 10:57 AM PST

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Laugh it up, troll. You've got a few more hours to gloat before we never hear from you again.

He who laughs last...

Kerley

04/21/2014 - 11:28 AM PST

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Checked against Basketball reference these guys are pretty good to the home team.